This invention related to the field of lighters, such as cigarette lighters.
Conventional butane lighters comprise a lighter body within which is housed a reservoir containing butane or other suitable fuel, a mounting frame affixed atop the lighter body, a nozzle inserted through the mounting frame into connected relationship with the reservoir, a lever for actuating the nozzle, and a piezoelectric igniter or a more conventional mechanical igniter such as a striker wheel, flint and flint-spring combination. The igniter is positioned close to the rear end of the lever so that the igniter and the rear end of the lever may be actuated simultaneously or nearly so.
Lighters which pre-date butane lighters are similar to the above-identified conventional butane lighters except that instead of having a nozzle in connected relationship with the reservoir, a wick or similar device is used, and there is no need for a nozzle actuating lever. Such lighters typically have traditional mechanical igniters with striker wheels and flints.
While the traditional mechanical igniter with striker wheel and flint can still be found in the marketplace, the butane lighter equipped with a piezoelectric igniter has become very popular. Instead of using a striker wheel and flint, a modern lighter is equipped with a piezoelectric unit which draws a spark when operated. The piezoelectric unit is typically operated by a thumb-operated push cap which not only operates the lever for actuating the nozzle, but also operates the piezoelectric unit to draw a spark, causing a flame to shoot upward from the lighter.
Piezoelectric igniters are popular because the spark which they draw is very predictable compared with the older mechanical igniters known in the art.
The safety device of the present invention works effectively with either form of lighter and with either form of igniter.
One of the reasons for the popularity of modern lighters is the fact that the height of the flame produced by the lighter can be varied over a wide range by varying the amount of fuel allowed to be ejected from the lighter. The very feature that makes such lighters dangerous if they are ignited. When the lighter produces a flame in an uncontrolled circumstance, particularly when the lighter is set on its high setting, materials (such as curtains, clothing, hair) may accidentally be lit on fire. Modern butane lighters are particularly dangerous when they are in the hands of children. This is true whether the igniter is a traditional striker wheel and flint arrangement or is embodied by a more modern piezoelectric device.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lighter comprises an igniter, a fuel source and a push button, typically thumb-operated, for releasing the fuel from the fuel source via a nozzle in the vicinity of the igniter. When the igniter is embodied by a traditional striker wheel and flint arrangement, the igniter wheel is positioned adjacent the push button so that the user can cause the striker wheel to rotate and can depress the push button in more or less one continuous motion. If, on the other hand, a piezoelectric igniter is used, then the piezoelectric igniter is typically operated as the push button is depressed to release the fuel from the fuel source. The lighter also includes a spring which is placed in a position to act against the depression of the push button in order to increase the child resistance of the lighter. With the spring action, additional force is required to activate push button making it more difficult for children to depress the push button in order to activate the lighter.